Building construction



June l2, 1945- R. B. WILLIAMSON BUILDING' CONSTRUCTION Filed Aug. 23, 1945 V3 Sheets-Sheet 1 f 72019772577" wseZZ arr WzZIZZzmSOn June 12, 1945. R, B. WILLIAMSON BUILDING CONSTRUCTION Filed Aug. 23, 1943 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 wm a (VSV June 12, 1945- R'. B. WILLIAMSON BUILDING CONSTRUCTION 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 @if j,

Filed Aug. 23, 1943 fnven Fussell 52277* hfl'czmson JWfMfy/MM @i Patented June l2, 1945 BUILDING CONSTRUCTION Bussell Barr Williamson, Milwaukee, Wis., assignor to Percy H. Waller, Wlllnette, Ill., and to Charles C. Kirk, Western Springs, lll.

Application Allgustr23, 1943, Serlal N0. 499,625

Claims.

The present invention relates to prefabricated housing constructions and is particularly directed to roofing, siding and floor constructions that facilitate rapid mass prefabrication with features that make assembly on the site an operation that canbe carried out with speed and ease.

One principal purpose uf the invention is to provide a panel construction for the side walls and roofs that give strength and rigidity to the construction with al minimum amount of material. The panel construction is such that the load bearing studs for the walls are stiilened and braced by the panels while they alsoserve as the means for connecting two adjacent panels.

A further and more detailed object of the inventio'n is the provision of a novel joint construction between adjacent panel sections of a roof whereby the joint between adjacent sections is adequately sealed by overlapping of the roof material at the joint above the level of the intermediate portions of the roofing material.

It is also a purpose of the invention to provide a panel construction for buildings wherein the panels themselves embody all of the necessary building openings such as windows and doors so that the window and door constructions can be fitted together at the factory and shipped out as completed panels for erection on the site.

The features and advantages of the invention will appear more fully as the description proceeds reference being had to the accompanying drawings wherein a preferred form of the invention is shown. It should be understood however that the drawings and description are illustrative only and should not be taken as limiting the invention except insofar as it is limited by the claims.

In the drawfngs:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary sectional View through a` building showing my improved roof section, side wall section and iloor section as actually applied; Fig. 2 is a view in side elevation of a plain side wall section frame previous to the application of the inner and outer wall surfaces thereto;

Fig. 3 is a View similar to Fig. 2 showing a like frame for a door before the application of the surface materials thereto;

Fig. 4 is a sectional View taken horizontally I Fig. 6 is a sectional view taken on the line 6-8 of Fig. 2 but showing the completed panel with the inner and outer sheets in place:

Fig. 7 is a plan view, with parts broken away, of a completed roof section;

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary perspective view illustrating two adjacentI roof sections before being placed together, one of the roof sections being sectioned along one edge to illustrate the various elements that comprise the roof section;

Fig. 9 is a fragmentary sectional view taken adjacent the corner of a building and illustrating the manner of finishing oil! the end of a roof panel;

Fig. 10 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken on the line III-I 0 of Fig. 1; I

Fig. 11 is a plan view, with parts broken away, illustrating a. floor section;

Fig. 12 is an enlarged fragmentary section taken on the line I2-I2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 13 is a perspective view of one of the connecting elements utilized in joining the floor sections together.

Referring now in detail to the drawings, there is shown in Fig..1 a fragmentary section through a building, the section being sufficiently enlarged to include a side wall portion I0, a roof portion Il and a floor portion I2 of the building. The building is mounted upon a suitable foundation comprising a base I3 which may be a continuous concrete wall or a series of posts as desired. Upon the base I3 at the exterior wall of the building I provide a sill Il and intermediate the outer walls I provide piers I5 on-which main supporting floor sills I6 rest. The oor sills of the building of the type shown in Fig. 1 preferably are made of 2 inch by 10 inch timbers. Immediately inside the sills I4 and on the opposite sides of the sills I6 I provide oor supporting structural members Il and I8. Preferably the members I1 are of slightly less depth than the members I8 so as t0 give the floor a slope outwardly toward the outer wall.

The floor sections I2, as illustrated best in Figs. 1 and 10 to 12, inclusive, comprise rectangular frameworks made up of a plurality of frame members 22 and 22a which are connected together at the ends by two boards 23 and which are braced intermediate their ends by lcross bracing members 24. The top surface ofthe floor section comprises a 1/2 inch panel 25 preferably of plywood, the under surface of which is coated with asphalt or a similar material. The panels 25 project over the frame members along one side and one end. Insulating pads 26 are secured to the under surface' of the panels 25 and may be of any desired thickness depending upon the degree of insulation necessary.

The floor sections I2 rest upon the members I1 and I6 and are fastened together. The iloor section fastening is illustrated in Fig. 11. Two adjacent sections are nailed by nails 28 to a relatively thick section side frame member 22a, the adjacent floor section having its top panel extending beyond its side frame member 22 for this purpose. The frame members are also locked together by special dowel pins I9 and wedges 2|. The dowel pins I9 which fasten two adjacent iloor sections together may be left out where the oor is too close to the ground to permit their installation. The iloor sections are fastened to the sills I6 by nails 20 going through the panels 25 into the sills I6. As shown in Figs. 11 and l2, the dowels I9 pass through two adjacent members 22-22a of the floor and are provided with reduced neck portions 21 and 28 to receive the wedges 2 I. The dowels I9 may be constructed of any suitable tough material such as maple, and likewise the wedges which are slightly tapered from the slotted end portion 29 thereof to the solid end portion 30. An elongated slot 3| in the wedge is ared as indicated at 32 to facilitate application of the wedge 2| to the dowel pin I9.

The assembly of the iloor section of the building is believed to be evident from the foregoing description. Briefly it comprises placing the sills I4 and I6 in place and securing the iloor supporting members I1 and I6 after which the iloor panels I2 are laid in side by side and fastened by means of the nails 20 and the dowel pins I9. If the dowels I9 are used the nailing of adjacent iloor sections to each other may be dispensed with although it is preferable to use both nails and dowels. When the floor is laid an outer iinishing strip or skirting board 33 is applied around the buldingand a water table strip 34 is secured to the sills I4 immediately above the skirting board 33.

Referring now to the side walls I6, the conf struction of the side walls comprises initially a side frame such as is illustrated in Fig. 5. This side frame comprises a base strip 35, studding 36 and a roof supporting girder 31. The upper and lower ends of the studding 36 are notched to receive the strip and the girder 31. However,

the notches at the upper ends of the studding are substantially less than the depth of the girder 31 and the girder itself is notched as indicated at 38 so as to interlock with the studding. The top of the ends of the studding and the girder 31 provide a support and locating means for a strip 39 that is provided on each roof section as will be presently explained. The side frame thus constructed provides the supporting and mounting structure for several panels 40 to complete the side wall I0 of the building. These panels 40 are made up individually as shown in Figs. 2 to 4, inclusive, and may be plain sections, door sections or window sections as desired, the panels themselves being interchangeable with respect to the frame shown in Fig. 5. This interchangeability is determined by the construction of the panels and the studding 36, the outer faces of the studding 36 being cut as indicated at 4I and 42 so as to provide a reduced rib 43 that fits between two adjacent panels which are then nailed by nails 44 to the studding as illustrated in Fig. 4.

Each plain panel 40 is composed of a rectangular frame-work as illustrated in Fig. 2, the frame being composed of 1% inch strips 45 forming the periphery of the section and intermediate cross strips 46 and 46a. On the outer or exposed surface I provide a 1/2 inch sheet 41 which desirably may be of a pressed bre construction or plywood properly treated to protect it. The inner surfaces of the frame members 45, 46 and 46a are covered by a sheet 48 of gypsum board, plywood or the equivalent. It will be notedfrom an examination of Fig. 6 that the side edges of the inner sheet 48 are cut back from the strips 45 so as to leave approximately half of the strip edge exposed. The side edges of the outer sheet are cut back also to allow the nails 44 to be driven between adjacent members 45 which they hold by engagement of the heads of the nails. The crack is lled with a suitable caulking material. The panels 40 are accurately constructed in prefabrication so that when they are placed in position between the studding 36 the side edges of the sheet 48 abut the ridges 43 on the studding and the strips 45 overlap the ridges 43 on the studding so that they can be nailed to the studding. This overlapped construction makes use of the panels 46 as a bracing means for the studding since the panels themselves are rigid because of the framework therein and the covering sheets 41 and 48. The caulking shows as a vertical line every four feet, which is the standard width of a panel. Where a door or window section is embodied, as shown in Fig. 4, the construction remains the same except that the additional width necessary to complete the four foot panel about the door or window frame is built up as illustrated in Figs. 3 and 4. The panels 40 as shown extend the full height 0f the side frame shown in Fig. 5 and overlap the girder 31 so they may be secured thereto. Likewise the girder 31 is set back so as to align vertically with the panels 40. The panels themselves rest directly upon the sills I4 and carry no weight other than their own weight. Desirably the spaces between the frame members 45 and 46 of the panels may be iilled with insulation 49.

Referring now to the roof section construction, this construction is illustrated best in Figs. 1 and 6 to 9, inclusive. Each roof section comprises a framework and a covering. The framework includes a plurality of longitudinally running boards 50 which are of greater depth at the peak of the roof than at the outside wall. As an example, the boards 50 are approximately 'l1/2 inches wide at one end and 4% inches wide at the other end and 1 inch thick. 'I'hese boards comprise the rafters and they are connected to gether by a suitable sheathing such as plywood sheathing 5I on the top and a gypsum board sheathing 52 or its equivalent on the bottom. Cross bracing is provided by staggered cross strips 53 at intervals lengthwise 'of the boards 50. Insulation 54 is provided between the sheets 5I and 52. At the upper or deeper end of the roof section the boards 50 are connected by two vertically spaced cross pieces 55. ,The ends of the boards 50 are notched as shown in Fig. 7 so that a projecting tongue 50a on each board extends between the upper and lower cross pieces 55.

The roof is supported at the center by beams 56 that run lengthwise 0i.' the building and provide adequate support for the roof. These beams are preferably supported at their opposite ends and at intervals by posts indicated at 51. The posts and beams provide roof support and also serve with the roof sections as the means for vertically positioning the side walls as will be explained hereinafter.

the end wall yIta and the lower end of the I The root section is provided along its side edges and its upper edge with beveled cleats I8 and 69, these cleats terminating flush with the surfaces of the outer boards III and the pieces l. Over the top of the cleats and over the ytop of the sheathing I provide a two-ply fabricated roong 6U of an asphalt and fibre composition. This roofing is fastened down to the plywood sheathing 5I by means of asphaltA cement. At one side edge the roonng extends over the beveled strip 53 as indicated at 6l and at the top edge, as indicated at 62, the roong extends over the beveled strip 59. After the roofing section is prefabrlcated this extendedpart of the prefabricated rooilng is bent down and fastened by a lathe strip until the roof section is put in place. When the roof section is put in place the loose flap of the fabricated roong is overlapped over the adjacent beveled strip and fastened down by cementing and nailing. A cover flashing 63 is then put over both beveled strips and cemented down to complete the roof joints. This construction is shown in detail in Fig. 9. .There is a ashing strip 63 along the ridge of the roof as well as along the joints between laterally adjacent roof sections.

Each roof section is provided with two cross strips 39. One strip is fastened to the boards 50 adjacent to the shallower end of the section but spaced therefrom and is adapted to serve as a stop against which the member 31 is fastened. The other strip 39 is fastened to the boards 50 adjacent to the deeper end of the roof section but is set back just the width of a beam 56. In the nal erection the two adjacent strips 39 are fastened to the beams 56 and to each other by bolts 64 (see Fig. 1) or any other suitable fastening means.

'I'he cross strips 53 are provided with openings 65 which are screened as shown at 66 in the strips 53 closest to the shallower ends of the roof sections. The purpose of these openings and the spacing of the strips 55 is to provide ventilation throughout the roof sections above the pads 54 of insulation. This built-in ventilation feature is of considerable value in keeping down heat transfer downwardly through the roof. The shallower ends of the roof sections are provided with end boards 61 which slope as shown. The asphalt rooilng sheet extends over the board 61 and is turned down and fastened to the outer surface of the end board.' In the erection, when several sections of the roof have been laid together a nishing plate 68 is nailed to the end boards and completely covers the joints between end boards of adjacent sections giving a good appearance and securing the sections in line at their outer ends.

The end roof sections are slightly wider than the intermediate panels so as to extend over the end walls of the building. The construction of the body of the end sectionsof the roof is the same as that oi' the other sections except that one side is extended and constructed as shown in Fig. 8. An additional board 50c is laid against the outer board 50 of a regular section and another wider board 50h is spaced slightly from it. Anoanchor strip 69 is provided. This strip extends between the strips 39 and serves as a stop for the member 31 of an end wall Ia that is made just like the side walls. The asphalt covering and the top panel of the end section of the roof are extended and finished off as shown in Fig. 8. A stop strip 1l is applied after erection between board 50h.

In erection the floors are first laid after the sills Il and I6 and the members I1 and IB'are placed on the posts I3 and I5. Next the posts 51`and the beams 56 are erected and secured in vertical alignment. This is the only vertical alignment necessary as the side and end walls are locked to the center construction by the roof sections. This is accomplished in the following manner. A side wall unit can be completed on' the oor by attaching the side wall panels to the frame shown in Fig. 5. 'I'his unit is then set on the sill I 4 and raised and temporarily held by braces to the center posts 51. 'I'he roof sections are then laid on and fastened to the beams 56. When this is done the side wall units are pushed against the outer strips 39 and a lock strip 1| (see Fig. 1) is nailed to the roof section against the outer surface of the side wall. When the side walls are thus fastened the end walls which overlap them can readily be set up in place and the corner is closed by two vertical boards (not shown) at right angles to each other which overlap each other on the outside of the corner and are nailed together.

Inner wall panels may of course be provided for partitions. These panels are constructed in essentially the same fashion as the side wall panels but they have the same ilnish on both sides.

From the foregoing description it is believed that the nature of my invention and the advantages thereof will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art.

Having thus described myr invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a building structure the combination of a central framework including upright posts and beams on top thereof with side wall units and roof sections, said side wall units comprising a plurality of complete sections, a framework including studs connecting said sections together and a top girder cooperating with said beam to support the roof sections, the said roof sections having framework attaching strips thereon secured to the beams and other attaching strips thereon engaging said girder whereby to position itupright in proper spaced relation to the beams, and a locking strip outside the Wall sections secured to the roof sections and holding said girder against the adjacent strips on the roof sections, said locking strip extending across a plurality of the roof sections whereby it also interconnects the roof sections to each other.

2. In a building structure the combination of a row of central posts and beams thereon, end walls comprising frames having top girders and studs, certain of said studs aligning vertically with said beams, side walls having studs and top girders and roof sections having securing strips thereon, said roof sections 'being arranged in opposingv pairs with their adjacent ends resting on said beams and the adjacent securing strips being secured to the beams to prevent separation of one roof section from its paired section, said roof sections having positioning strips against which the girders of the end and side walls rest, and locking strips secured to the roof sections and overlapping the outer surfaces of the side and end walls to lock them in place.

3. In a building structure a side wall unit comprising a plurality of panels with like exterior dimensions, each panel having an inner and outer sheet covering and a framework, the periphery of which projects beyond the inner sheet covering at the opposite side edges, a load supporting frame comprising upright studs, a top girder, and a bottom tie plate, said studs having reduced sections extending between the adjacent edges of the inner sheets of two abutting panels, the said panels being secured to the studs and the girder and tie plate.

4. In a building structure a side wall unit comprising a plurality of panels with like exterior dimensions, each panel having an inner and outer sheet covering and a framework, the periphery of which projects beyond the inner sheet covering at the opposite side edges, a load supporting frame comprising upright studs, a top girder, and a bottom tie plate, said studs having reduced sections extending between the adjacent edges of the inner sheets of two abutting panels, the said panels being secured to the studs and the girder and tie plate, certain of said panels including door frames.

5. In a building structure the combination of a door comprising sills and duplicate oor sections interconnected with each other and resting on said sills, a central supporting and aligning structure comprising spaced posts resting on said floor, a beam connecting the top of said posts, side wall units composed of a load carrying side wall frame and panels attached thereto, and roof sections attached to said beam and having lmeans to secure the top portions of said side wall umts in spaced relation to the beam, said roof sections comprising tapered rafters, a top covering for said rafters, a bottom sheet for said rafters, and cross braces between said rafters, the said cross braces having apertures whereby to provide ventilation in said roof sections.

RUSSELL BARR WILLIAMSON. 

